The night I spent exploring Pitch's lair gave me a lot to think about, but it was certainly one of my more interesting evenings with the infamous being. That evening had allowed me to see a different side to the Nightmare King, the gentle side that stayed hidden under beds when his monstrous side came out to play. I could still feel the warmth of his palm holding mine as he and I journeyed through the seemingly never ending layers of the ruins. The ghost of his touch lingered on my waist and I could still smell the earthy, spicy scent of his robe on my sweater. For the following two weeks, any time the Boogeyman came near or spoke in that lulling voice, I felt my cheeks heat in embarrassment.

Thankfully, Jade knew just how to get in my head about the whole situation. With the two of us being so busy as of late, preparing for midterms and applying for college, neither one of us had seen each other much since speaking with Mr. Winborne. Because of this, I had yet to tell her much about Pitch, though I knew whatever I told her had to be handled delicately. She would think I was crazy if I told her that the Guardians and the Boogeyman were real.

Mid-afternoon on Saturday, my best friend barged into my room, a wide smile splitting her features. "Guess who's got a date tonight!" Jade boasted proudly. I laughed, pushing my book away from me. Pitch had yet to arrive today, so it was nice to have company. "Did my mom let you in?" I chuckled. "Of course! I don't break into every building, ya know," She rolled her eyes, plopping herself on my carpet. I shook my head, scooting off my bed to sit on the floor with her. "Who's the lucky guy?" I prodded her. Jade bit her lip, fluttering her eyelashes dreamily. "It's Eric from the coffee shop down the street. The hot guy with the snake bites and green eyes." I raised my eyebrows at her. I knew which guy she was talking about, though it surprised me she had agreed to go on a date with him. Eric always stared at her whenever we went in, ogling at her like a lost puppy and being a total romantic, but Jade never seemed to pay him much attention. "He's really cute, girly. Good for you!" I congratulated my bestie.

A wicked grin formed on Jade's face. "What about you, Anara? You've kinda gone incognito on me lately. You got a special someone I don't know about?" She nudged me playfully with her arm." Before I had a chance to speak, she seemed to get an idea. "Holy crap! Is it Mr. Tall, Dark, and Gorgeous from my Halloween Party?" She pressed. "Was I that obvious?" I wondered, turning a deep shade of scarlet. I had fought so hard to resist the idea, told myself that such a feeling was preposterous. But lately, the more time I spend with Pitch and getting to know him, the harder it is to deny it. I had developed feelings for the Nightmare King. Feelings I doubted he could return. He looked at me like a child, which I supposed was what I was to him. Still, a flicker of hope hummed in my chest whenever I caught him staring at me, or felt him brush my fingers while we watched a movie or while walking through the town together. "Oh it totally is!!!" Jade giggled, laughing so hard she had to lay on her back to catch her breath. "Fine, you got me. Yes, I like Pitch. But he doesn't know, and I'm keeping it that way. I'm not ruining another relationship by falling in love with someone who clearly doesn't feel the same. We're just really close friends," I retorted adamantly. Jade sat up on her elbows, gazing at me in disbelief. "Okay, I don't even know the guy and I can already tell he isn't like Jason. This guy is clearly older and much more mature than that moron. Plus, I saw the way he was looking at you that night. Even with those wicked contacts in, it was obvious he cares for you. I don't think I saw his eyes ever leave you, especially when you were singing. He seemed completely smitten with you." Jade argued, clearly convinced of Pitch's feelings toward me.

I truly wanted to believe it, to be as sure as my best friend, but if there was one thing I knew about Pitch Black, it was that he was the most multifaceted individual I had ever known. It was hard to read him a lot of the time, but he seemed more genuine lately than he had been when we first met. I trusted him, yet I didn't know if that was entirely good or bad, or perhaps a bit of both. "Do you like him? Or do you love him?" Wait...do I love Pitch? Holy Man in the Moon...I think I do... My mind was spinning with uncertainty. However, my emotions were decisive, and as I pictured the Nightmare King's devious smirk and stunning metallic eyes, I knew what I felt for him was deeper than a crush. I loved him. Was I going to admit that to Jade? Definitely not. "I have no idea." I fibbed, Jade rolling her eyes again as she saw right through the lie. "Don't fight it, Anara. If you love him, I think it's awesome. You've seemed happier this year, and feistier too! I'm ecstatic to see you like this, even if it's only because you fell for a guy who knows how to treat you right. Trust your gut." She advised wisely.

I got to my feet, "It's kind of hard to do that after what happened the last time." I sighed, thinking for a moment. "If there's a prize for rotten judgement," I sang quietly, looking out my bedroom window and into my backyard, watching Artemis running around excitedly. "I guess I've already won that...No man is worth the aggravation. That's ancient history - been there, done that!" I spun on my heel, facing Jade. She smiled, recognizing the song from one of our favourite childhood movies. "Who'd'ya think you're kiddin'? He's the Earth and heaven to you. Try to keep it hidden? Honey, I can see right through you! Girl, you can't conceal it, I know how ya feel and who you're thinking of..." She joined in, approaching me with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Oh! No chance, no way, I won't say it, no, no." I wiggled my finger at her, moving it from side to side. "You swoon, you sigh. Why deny it? Uh-oh!" Jade pressed the back of her hand to her forehead, as if she were a vintage woman swooning over a gentleman caller. "It's too cliche! I won't say I'm in love..." I sang as I shook my head at her, "I thought my heart had learned its lesson. It feels so good when you start out..." I picked up the picture of Jason and I, scanning over the memory. "My head is screaming 'Get a grip,girl!' Unless you're dying to cry your heart out. Ohhhhh!!" Jade snatched the frame from me, tossing it onto the bed and taking my hands."You keep on denying who you are and how you're feeling. Baby, I'm not buying. Hon, I saw ya hit the ceiling. Face it like a grown-up! When ya gonna own up that ya got, got, got it bad?" She continued, shaking me so hard it was like she was trying to knock the sense into me.

I smiled, pulling my arms out of her grasp and crossing them over my chest. "No chance, no way! I won't say it, no, no..." "Give up, give in, check the grin you're in love!" Jade winked at me. "This scene won't play! I won't say I'm in love!!!" I used one of my hands to make a cutting motion in front of me. "You're doin' flips read our lips, you're in love!" My best friend poked my side, causing me to laugh lightly. "You're way off base, I won't say it! Get off my case, I won't say it!" I argued, playfully shoving her away from me. Jade grinned, knowing she was getting somewhere with me. "Girl, don't be proud! It's O.K. you're in love..." She hummed her last note as I moved to sit back on my bed. "Ohhhh... At least out loud...I won't say I'm in love...." I trailed off, grasping my sweater once again and inhaling what remained of Pitch's scent. Falling for the Nightmare King...that just spelled trouble....

Time seemed to pass slowly. Jade and I spent most of the day together, discussing her upcoming date with Eric and the night I had hung out with Pitch. Of course, there were still many details I could not tell her - the existence of Nightmares and Pitch's underground lair, for example - but it was nice to gush about the nights we spent watching movies and talking for hours on end about nothing in particular. What really impressed Jade was Pitch holding me while I broke down from Pricilla's bullying. "He didn't run away or leave you alone like you told him to? He held you close and whispered sweet nothings in your ears?" Her brown eyes were wide in amazement. I shrugged, "Something like that, yes." I answered. "That settles it. You need to snatch him up before someone else does! You need to tell him how you feel!" She exclaimed. "I don't think that will be much of a problem..." I mumbled, saddened that everyone else who knew Pitch only knew him for his misdeeds. It was true, he had done some rather questionable things in his life, but after knowing what happened to him, I had to admit I understood why. He wasn't so much of a truly evil villain as he was a devious anti-hero. Maybe one day the Guardians would see that too.

For now, I doubted many people could get close enough to Pitch for him to fall in love with them. Hopefully, Jade was right, and maybe he felt the same for me as I did for him. But I was not going to risk my friendship with the Boogeyman to act on my emotions. If I did that, I took a chance of losing him, and after all this time, the thought of that was unbearable.

Pitch POV

Autumn was nearing its close when the Nightmare King came to a startling understanding. Pitch Black was becoming attached to Anara Rose. After spending nearly every evening for the past six months with the young woman, Pitch had already begun to feel his power returning; he felt stronger than ever. Strangely, the Boogeyman did not want to end his time with Anara, finding himself looking forward to their nightly discussions. In such a short time, his one mortal friend had managed to worm her way into his heart. Pitch despised such an idea, as well as the warm, fuzzy feelings that tumbled in his stomach whenever Anara got too close to him. It reminded him of when he was Kozmotis Pitchiner, when he had finally grown to care for his wife, Lady Pitchiner. The butterflies in his belly and the throbbing of his heart. Their marriage had been arranged by their families, but it was not at all loveless. The pair's greatest joy had been their daughter Emily, the very product of their union. Pitch missed them both, but especially his child.

Still, he was unable to resist the way he was drawn to Anara. He had grown to admire her in a way he had never admired anyone before. The young woman's strength in times of hardship, the compassion in her heart that reached even him, and the enormous amount of love she held for all she cared about. She often sacrificed her own happiness for the sake of others. But she shared some of Pitch's qualities. Their similar sense of cynicism, their mutual comfort in the darkness of the night, and their intelligent discussion and banter were all aspects of their friendship that made Pitch forget who he was for a brief time. It made him forget that he was a monster. Pitch didn't know if he liked that feeling or not.

When Pitch walked in on Anara sobbing on her duvet one evening, he felt something in his chest break. With a chill, he realized that it was his heart. He felt a pang of unease that was quickly overshadowed by sympathy. He ignored her request for him to leave her in this state, an overwhelming urge to ease her pain washing over him. Pitch shifted toward her and enveloped the girl in his arms, attempting to comfort her as best as possible. To his surprise, words came flooding from his throat, words that he didn't mean to admit, though he was glad he did. They seemed to renew the fire in his friend. Holding her close to his body, he felt at ease and surprisingly happy. The Boogeyman had not comprehended his unspoken need for physical connection until this time. Though he was angered by what had happened to Anara, he was proud to be the one to make the sadness disappear from her pretty face.

The movie that they had watched a few evenings later simply reminded Pitch of his past. He was unaware of the ability for fiction to remind one of themselves until he saw the desperation on the Phantom's face at the thought of losing Christine. Pitch's own life reeled in his mind, making him feel solemn and irate. He had not meant to snap at Anara so harshly, especially when it was clear that she was concerned about the Nightmare King. Bitterness ruled over him though, and all the emotions he had kept hidden for so long came tumbling out. Anara did not run as he expected her to, or cower away from him as he stalked closer to her. Instead, the young woman wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, telling him that she was there for him, reaffirming how much she cared for him. He was shocked. No one had supported him in such a way in hundreds of years. Yet, Anara Rose had done so without any hesitation. Pitch Black knew Anara deserved an explanation for his outburst. It was time to tell her about his past.

Anara listened intently to him, taking in all the information he gave her. He half expected her to send him away, but again, she was there for him. She proved once more that she genuinely cared for the Boogeyman, and was ready to take all of the bad with the good. She accepted Pitch not only for who he was, but what he had done. It amazed him. Even when he took her to explore his lair, Anara was more fascinated than frightened. Whenever the Nightmare King touched her, Anara did not shy away from his grip on her waist when riding Onyx or the brush of his fingertips on her wrist. In fact, he felt her hands clutching his robe tightly as they flew across the sky on the Nightmare; and in his lair, when she was startled by an unexpected shadow or noise, she tended to shuffle closer to him.

The concept that Anara trusted Pitch fully and believed in him caused the Nightmare King to second guess everything that he knew himself to be. He began to question his own decisions and then wondered why he was doing so. Pitch Black was one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Just the same, this young mortal woman challenged him in ways the Guardians had not; made him genuinely think about what he was doing. It was becoming crystal clear to Pitch that he cared for Anara Rose far more than he should, especially given the fact that he was over hundreds of years old and immortal, while she was neither of those things. Her heart was full of love and hope, his was made from darkness and pain. Still, the way her pale eyes sparkled when she met his gaze caused chills to run along Pitch's spine. There was something between them that the Boogeyman could not explain, something he feared and adored all at once.